Always
by TheRedxHabanero
Summary: "You're all I have left." Shikamaru comforts Ino after the deaths of their fathers. Post-war oneshot. ShikaIno.


**A/N: This story contains major spoilers for manga chapter 613. Just another one-shot here, my first try at my two favorite characters. Enjoy.**

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Always:

It is almost dark when he finds her.

All his life he has been called a genius, yet it has taken him hours to get to her the moment she needs him most. He would be lying if he said it was because he didn't know where to look. He knows her too well. Not because of his genius, but because of their bond. They have been through _everything_ together. He knows everything about her. So of course he has known the whole time that she would be here.

The truth is that _he_ doesn't want to be here. He wants to be at home, holed away in his room, alone, away from the world and the muffled sobs of his nagging mother. Here it is too painful. He wants to turn back, but it will only cause him more pain if he walks out on her now, the one person he can't bear to hurt, standing broken and shivering in front of the mound.

Because that's all her father is now; a memory carved in a mound, decorated with flowers. Just like his father, and Neji, and their teacher. She is here because she has nothing left. He still has his mother but she has nothing, just an empty house of memories to remind her of all she has lost. If he walks away now, she will stay here alone. She will remain standing by that gravestone until she is too tired, then cry herself to sleep. And she will get sick from the cold night air.

He can't have that. He can't bear the thought of her doing that to herself. She is too important to him.

He has lied to himself for so long – it was just too troublesome to admit – but he can't do it anymore. All those times they have fought together, talked together, laughed together, watched the sky together, every moment he has been in her presence. He has searched the deepest corners of his mind and thought of every possible logical explanation as to how or when it had happened. But it was the splinter his head had refused to be rid of, the one puzzle that was impossible to solve: How and when he, Nara Shikamaru, had fallen in love with Yamanaka Ino.

He doesn't know if she feels the same, and he curses himself for being unable to tell. The man who can plan two hundred moves ahead and analyse his enemies' thoughts in mere seconds. He is afraid of what he doesn't know because he is too used to picking up on things. So he can't tell her. It is so, so troublesome.

But he knows at least there is one thing he can do – he can be there for her, like always.

He is pulled away from his thoughts by the sound of kunai hitting wood, and panics for a moment. Every sound now sets him off, one of the scars war left imprinted on them all. Of course he isn't under attack, but finds himself even more shocked to see her reaching into her weapon holster for another round of kunai. She throws them violently at the nearest tree, and sadness consumes him at the sight of anger and tears staining the graceful features of her face.

When she realises her holster is empty, she lets out a frustrated scream, kicking the flowers she and Sakura had laid out this morning at the burial. Shock fills his sunken expression as they scatter in a disarray and fall to the ground. He has never seen her act like this and it worries him, so he does the first thing that comes to mind.

It takes a moment for her to realize that her body is paralyzed, anger rising as she becomes aware of her teammate's presence.

"Let me go, Shikamaru!" she shouts, her voice course from lack of speech, but firm none-the-less.

He ignores the command and forces her to turn around to face him.

His mastery of the jutsu frustrates her.

She doesn't want to look at him. She doesn't want him to see her like this. Her gaze fixes on the ground between them where his shadow stretches and connects to her own. It is the only part of her she can control. That, and somewhat the bitter feelings raging inside.

"I said, let me go!" she yells again, her frustration stronger this time.

"I'm sorry but I can't do that," he replies softly.

He takes a step in her direction and her body mimics the movement. They walk towards each other slowly, with her closing her eyes tightly and clenching her teeth while he cautiously watches her face. For the first time in all the time she's known him, she wants him to leave her. Yet now he is so selfishly forcing her to come closer to him. Her body is compelled with bitterness and a sudden desire to punch him, but stronger is the new feeling of fear. She is afraid she will hurt him when he releases the jutsu.

"Stop," she says weakly, but he ignores her again and doesn't stop until they are standing directly in front of each other.

He can smell the flowery scent of her perfume and see every detail on her tear-stained face. He hates seeing her like this, but even with the dullness in her eyes and the wetness on her cheeks she still looks so beautiful. He disconnects their shadows and waits for a reaction, for her to turn away or hit him or yell at him. But she doesn't move.

She doesn't know what she is feeling anymore, it is all just a big confusion. Her body still won't respond to what she is thinking. She herself _doesn't_ know what she is thinking but she is just so sad and so angry and so tired and so cold. And she can't take it anymore.

Her shaking legs give way and she falls, but a warm pair of arms catches her. Shikamaru pulls her against him and she grabs onto him tightly, burying her face in his vest.

They don't know how long they stay like that, but neither wants to let go. She cries until she forgets her frustration and the heaviness in her chest, and there is only grief left. He doesn't say anything, fighting to keep his own tears at bay. He needs to be strong for her now.

He pulls her closer and holds her in a consoling silence. She has always been the one best with words after all, not him. It frustrates him to think there isn't anything more he can do. But unfortunately life is never that easy. And as shinobi, the easier, joyful parts of life never seem to reach them.

He looks up at the grey clouds in the darkening sky with envy. Death is peaceful. Life is hard. At least their fathers are at peace, away from the bitter suffering of the world.

"Shikamaru," Ino says shakily. "Don't leave me."

The pain in her voice breaks him and he pulls back to look at her but she tenses, tightening her hold on him and making his heart beat faster. The same way it does when her mind transfer fails or she takes a blow during a fight. But what's different now is the new warmth spreading through him.

"I'm not going anywhere," he replies gently.

"I mean never… Don't ever…please…"

Her words surprise him, almost as much as his own frantic heartbeat. Could it be that she…? He notices himself nodding and she relaxes a little.

"Will you promise?"

Shikamaru looks down at the ground behind her. He is not like Naruto or Lee, he can't say simple words like they do and make the impossible come true. He is a rational guy who would never make a promise he couldn't keep. The world may have finally reached an era of peace but the fact remains that they are still _ninja._ There will come a day when war breaks out again and they'll live their lives in the face of constant risk.

He inwardly curses himself. He is already thinking too deeply. So troublesome.

But Ino knows. She knows her request is childish and she knows what he is thinking. But she _needs_ him. "You're… you're all I have left. I can't… I just _can't _lose you."

She finally loosens her hold and pulls back to look up at him. He gazes down at her eyes, noticing determination now masking the wetness in them, and for the first time in his life the lazy genius casts away every logical thought. "I promise."

His face heats up as he realises how close they are standing. He can see every fine detail on her face and she looks so, so beautiful. More beautiful than ever. But when did they get so close? He'd caught her shadow, she'd yelled at him, then he'd hugged her and let her cry in his arms and then she'd said those words and his brain had stopped working and he'd made that irrational promise and- screw this, he is thinking too much again. Why is he making it so tr-

His disarray of thoughts is broken by soft lips meeting his own. And before he realizes it, he is pulling her closer once again, kissing her back. Her hands on either side of his face are cold. She really has been out here for hours. But the coldness doesn't make him flinch. He closes his eyes under their touch and wraps his arms around her waist. Her lips are wet from the tears but he feels them smile against his own.

A few minutes ago – no, ever since headquarters had fallen down by the jyuubi's attack – he'd been haunted by the thought of never seeing her beautiful smile again. And here they are now in the cold cemetery, smiling and kissing and realizing that this was the moment they'd both unconsciously dreamed of for years.

They pull away hesitantly, allowing their momentary escape from grief to fade. The grief that would stay with them forever. Shikamaru wonders why he even questioned Ino's request. He needs her too, just as much as she needs him. Like her mind transfer needs his shadow possession for a perfect execution of technique, they need each other.

"I promise I won't ever leave you, Ino. If I can make any promise then it would be that. I'll always be here." He wipes a fresh tear from her cheek, and they both blush slightly at the action.

She watches the seriousness in his expression and the corners of her mouth twitch into a small smile. In all the time she's known him he's been serious after all. A serious and lazy genius who would never say or do anything unless he knew it was right. "Always?"

"Always."


End file.
